The council has gone into damage control after Ann Street's Fringe and Kerbside bars legally constructed a solid 9.5-metre sound-blocking wall that left eight neighbours in 24-hour darkness.

One of those neighbours is Ben Anderson, whose home now resembles a tidy dungeon rather than a light-filled apartment owned by an inner-city 20-something.

So how did Fringe Bar, owned by Fitzgibbons Hotels, manage to build the wall one metre from residents' homes without telling anyone?

In 2011, Fitzgibbons got council approval to extend Fringe Bar. Last year they returned with another request to build the 9.5 metre wall on the border of the apartment after former residents complained about noise.

The issue with noise complaints is that pub owners risk being shut down, so to minimise that threat, Fitzgibbons devised a plan for the "acoustic wall" to block out sound. Turns out their design also completely blocked out light.

Brisbane City Council staff gave them advice on how to bypass the residents and cleverly navigate planning rules to receive approval.

Documents show the planning officers believed the wall application would fail under the Heritage Place Code, but by suggesting the developers apply under the Sustainable Planning Act, it was only considered a "minor" change.

Minor changes do not require developers to tell anyone about their proposal. Nobody at the council bothered telling anyone either, before or after they approved the wall.

"Council officers provided professional advice during a formal pre-lodgement meeting with representatives of the Fringe Bar," a council spokesman said.

"These meetings are an integral part of the planning process and happen on a regular basis.

"Any suggestion the officers acted inappropriately is utterly rejected."

The wall was built in three weeks at the end of last year.

Griffith University planning expert Dr Matthew Burke said Fortitude Valley is vulnerable to scenarios like this because it is filled with entertainment venues next to old industrial buildings which have been converted into housing.

"[Noise] was no problem when people lived 800 metres away, they now live 800 millimetres away and that's where the conflicts emerge," Dr Burke said.

He said it was also a classic example of a "bad neighbour" building something that could upset others.

"The wall will allow them to operate the pub louder and later...but to go about it in this way without consulting with the neighbours just is a bit strange," he said.

"A lot of venues go about this in very different ways and try to work with people...regardless of what's legally allowable, I think there are moral obligations here."

Nobody at Fitzgibbons Hotels was willing to be interviewed on Wednesday, but group operations manager David Ovendens asked a receptionist to provide a "no comment" response.

Another staff member who was dealing with the residents, Rob Finlayson, also chose not to talk.

"We're not providing any comment, ok?" he said before hanging up.

Resident Ben Anderson and seven others are now exploring their legal options.

The 24-year-old has spent hours each night researching legal cases, speaking with lawyers and building a campaign to have the wall removed or dramatically changed so that he can get some sunlight back.

"As far as I'm concerned we have a strong case," Mr Anderson said.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has promised to contact State Planning Minister Jackie Trad to prevent similar cases occurring, but it could be too little too late. It is not clear whether the council has any power to reverse its decision on the Ann Street wall.

After first defending the decision to approve the wall, Cr Quirk softened his position on Tuesday evening. He said he would contact the residents and Fitzgibbons to organise a sit-down where the parties would try to come up with a solution.